27 September 2023
Last Chance: ‘Acknowledge Rebuild’ runs until 29 October 2023 in the Kunsthal Rotterdam
‘Acknowledge Rebuild: Wunderkammers of Rotterdam’s Colonial Past’, a partnership with Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, opened at the Kunsthal Rotterdam in June. The exhibition ends on 29 October 29, so don’t miss it!
‘Acknowledge Rebuild’, curated by artist and guest curator patricia kaersenhout, explores the phenomenon of the ‘wunderkammer’ through contemporary eyes. These ‘cabinets of curiosities’ were popular among the wealthiest Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries and were the precursors of today’s museums. The exhibition presents the idea of Western dominance as a curiosity.
Rotterdam in the past, present and future
In a city with a multicultural population, one in eight people who live in Rotterdam has an enslaved ancestor. ‘Acknowledge Rebuild’ shows that racism continues to affect the city’s present and future, so it is essential to talk about this. The exhibition illuminates the emotionally charged colonial background of Rotterdam’s art and heritage collections. The display features more than thirty artworks from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s collection, supplemented with objects from the collections of other museums in Rotterdam and the City Archives. In collaboration with Verhalenhuis Belvédère, we hear the voices of five Rotterdammers in the exhibition, making visible the impact of the past on the present.
Things to see and do
The following activities are scheduled in October:
- Sunday 15 October: Afrovibes Festival. The Kunsthal auditorium hosts a programme of dance, music, performances, art and fashion from South Africa, East Africa and the African diaspora in the Netherlands.
- Friday 20 October: Friday Night Live. A vibrant evening-long monthly programme that gives the stage over to other Rotterdam-based organisations.
- Friday 27 October: Many Faces of Love. The Endless India festival commemorates 150 years of Indian immigration in Suriname.
- Sunday 29 October: Indo Café: The Talk Show. This talk revisits conversations held in the Indo Café during the summer.
Image in header: Marco de Swart